


Ice

by Mister_Spock



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Cold!Jim, Cold!Spock, Gen, Hurt!Spock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 07:22:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7675291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mister_Spock/pseuds/Mister_Spock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stranded on an ice planet, Spock and Kirk have to survive long enough to be rescued.<br/>Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ice

**Author's Note:**

> Requested by tumblr user shoes-ships-and-sealing-wax

Kirk rubbed a hand across his face. His eyes felt dry from the temperature, the shuttle they were forced to take shelter in doing little to keep the coldness out.  
Checking the time, he got up, limbs stiff from sitting for so long and headed towards the door. 

“Captain?” Spock asked, hearing the movement. 

“Time for another attempt to contact the ship Spock.”

“Would you like me to attempt this time, Captain?”

“No, I'll go.”

“The constant exposure to the harsh conditions outside is not helping you retain your body temperature.”

“And it won't help you either. I'm going, Spock. We can have this discussion when I get back.” He turned and began to walk away. 

“Jim.” Spock said, pulling off the coat he was wearing and holding it out to the Captain. 

“Spock, I'm not going to take your jacket.”

“Just while you are exposed to the elements. You must do all you can to protect yourself, Jim. You shall not be long and you can return them to me when you are back.” 

“Fine,” Kirk said, taking the jacket and reluctantly the offered hat and gloves as well. He had gloves and a hat on, but he pulled the extra layer on on top anyway, before he grabbed his own survival blanket and threw it over towards Spock. “Keep that warm for me,” he said as he shuffled stiffly towards the door, finally opening it as the frigid air from outside filled the ship briefly before the door was closed and Jim was left fully exposed. 

He knew the path well by now. Walk to the end of the craft, up the ditch they'd crashed in too and then go as far as they could manage before the coldness really got to them.  
Spock had done the walk several times himself. He wanted to get a little further this time, hoping the signal would reach the Enterprise.  
They needed it too. 

He didn't manage to make it any further than the last time he went out. The storm from earlier, when they'd first crashed had moved away and it seemed that was enough to allow them to get through to the Enterprise. 

“Captain? The signal's pretty weak. Can you hear me?”

“I can hear you Mr Sulu. How quickly can you get us out of here?”

“We're working on it now. Are you and Commander Spock safe?”

“We're in the shuttle. Both uninjured but it's cold. Really cold. I need to get back inside.”

“We'll find you, Captain. You should get in some shelter”

“I'm heading back now.”

“Jim?” Bones voice came across the line, the signal wavering a little. 

“Bones, I'm here but I'm heading back. I can't hear you so well.”

“How are you h..... up?”

“Holding up? We're okay. Better when we're back on board the ship.” 

“How about Sp...”

“Yeah, we're both good. I'm going back down to the shuttle now, I don't think I'll hear you much longer, Bones.”

“Keep an eye................-ert species........... -ut down. -im? Jim?” The line faltered and died and Kirk stuffed the comm device back into the pocket of the jacket as he stumbled back to the craft.  
He opened the door, Spock jolting as though startled as he climbed back inside. “I got through. They're working on getting to us.”

“That is excellent news, Captain.” Spock said, pulling himself up and checking the beacon was working. 

“Here, take these back.” Kirk said pulling off the extra layers Spock had provided him with. 

“Set them aside, Captain. I shall replace them shortly.” Spock says, fiddling with a few things on the broken console of the shuttle. Kirk went to the survival blanket and wrapped it around himself. He didn't really pay attention to Spock, as he moved over to where Kirk had left the borrowed clothing and how careful Spock was to slip the gloves back on but he saw the unnatural pallor on the tips of Spock's fingers. He watched how Spock carefully replaced the gloves and then the hat and jacket.  
If he were in pain, he hid it well. 

“Is that frostbite?” Kirk asked as Spock settled back underneath his own blanket. 

“Very early stages, yes.” Spock replied. 

“How long before that becomes a problem?”

“I do not have sufficient data, Captain. There are many factors that I can not take into account. I believe I will be fine in our current climate for several more hours while we await rescue.”

“I wish there was something I could do to help.”

“Unfortunately Captain, we have already searched the craft for all resources to keep ourselves warm while awaiting rescue. You are also in danger of frostbite.”

“Did you fall asleep? You know, when I was gone.”

“No Captain. I was not asleep.”

“Were you meditating?”

“I was imagining the warmth of Vulcan.”

Kirk allowed the words to sink in a smiled. An almost sentimental thing to do, for a Vulcan. “Did it help?”

“Not as much as I would have liked.”

“I never got a chance to go to Vulcan. I wish I had.”

“I too wish I had spent more time there. I never wished to leave my home planet, just the expectations of my elders.”

“They expected a lot from you?”

“Quite the opposite. They expected me to fail. I was accepted into the Vulcan Science Academy and had also applied to Starfleet. When I was informed that I had been accepted, they made clear reference to my disadvantage.”

“Being half human?”

“Correct. I found I no longer wished to join the VSA. So I turned them down, something no other Vulcan had done before.”

“I bet they loved that.”

“My Father was displeased with me. We did not part on good terms so I did not go back to Vulcan until-” Spock didn't say when he went back, in hung in the air between them. 

“What's the thing you remember most fondly about it?”

Spock closed his eyes and lent his head back against the wall. If Kirk didn't know him any better, he'd think that Spock wasn't going to answer him. He knew, truthfully, that Spock was carefully considering the answer he was to give. Eventually, he simply said. “It was home.”  
And Kirk didn't need more than that. He understood. 

Pike had clued him in a little with some vague references back when he and Spock didn't always see eye to eye.  
'He's an outcast on his own planet, Jim. Don't make him an outcast in Starfleet too.' He'd remembered that because it struck him hard.  
He'd never considered what Spock had grew up with. Assumed that Vulcan's were too logical to dislike another of their own species, even if he was slightly different genetically. And it made Spock's admission now just a bit sadder. Despite the hardships he'd had, it was still home. Jim's own thoughts of home were warmth, safety, familiarity. There was no reason Spock's should be any different. 

He'd been quiet for so long, he turned his attention back to Spock. His eyes closed again and Jim wondered if he himself had got caught up in the past as well. “Are you there now?” he asked softly. “Back home?”He waited in the silence for an answer, the smile slowly leaving his face as the quiet stretched out. “Spock?” 

When he didn't stir, Jim crawled the short distance over to him, taking his emergency blanket with him. He touched Spock's face, certain it would startle Spock back awake but nothing happened. He was certain he would feel the coldness of Spock's skin if his own fingers weren't so numb with the cold themselves. 

“Please, Spock. You have to be okay.”

The best he could think to do was to share their limited body heat and share the blankets they had. He sat as close to Spock as he could and repositioned the blankets over both of them.  
His worry for Spock was overtaken by exhaustion, and soon Kirk entered into blissful unawareness. 

~

“Jim? Jim, come on, wake up.” 

The first thing he really noticed is he was warm. “Bones?” 

“Yeah it's okay. You're back with us.”

“Spock?”

“Recovering too. You both need a lot of rest.”

“He wasn't doing good.”

“Just Spock's Vulcan body doing what it can. Once it got to a certain temperature, it kinda shut him down to concentrate on survival. He's going to be fine once his adjusted. Same as you.”

“What about frostbite?”

“Nothing too bad. You've both got some damaged skin and it'll be swollen and sore for a little while. But no amputations will be necessary.”  
Jim held his hand out, trying to focus on his fingers. “Your fingers are fine, it's your toes that got the nip. You need to stay off your feet to let them heal a little better. Spock's fingers are painful right now, so no reports for him either”

“Can I see him?”

“What part of staying off your feet confused you?”

“Can't you wheel me in to him.”

“No, I'm not patient delivery service and you both need some more rest before there's any home visits.”

“Home? You mean he's not here in sickbay?”

“You both have different needs with what's considered a comfortable temperature. It was easier to have Spock in his quarters with the correct temperature than in here freezing because it's not warm enough for him. Besides all that, I'm monitoring him at all times so I know he's fine.”

“He'll be okay?”

“You both will.”

“You know what I'd like?”

“What?”

“Shore leave. On a nice, warm planet.”

McCoy smiled. “I think a number of the crew might benefit from a little natural warmth.”

“Can you ask Chekov to look for the nearest planet with those specs? And then I'll request Shore leave when I'm allowed up.”

“Consider it done.” McCoy said a quick pat on Jim's arm before he left his bedside.  
Jim closed his eyes feeling warm and safe, in familiar surroundings, and he dreamt of home.


End file.
